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Marvel: King of The Swarm Chapter 48: On The Horizon
🕑 Added 2025-06-29 19:17:11 +0000 UTC'I don't like this,' Harry thought a deep frown marring his face as he stepped onto the elevator that started its descent to the ground floor.
'You don't believe it's a coincidence that your father only just announced his campaign after the Kingpin's death which hasn't been made public knowledge yet?' Nyx asked rhetorically voicing Harry's inner thoughts.
'I'm more inclined to believe that this series of events has occurred according to someone else's plan, whether it's my father's, another party's, or a combination of both is not something I wished to deal with,' Harry emphasized as the elevator's display continued to count down, 'Especially considering his supposed trump card in the election...he wouldn't waste such technology on something as selfless as public safety. It's just a ploy to get funding and willing human test subjects, in order to develop the final product. Though what he plans to use it on I haven't the slightest clue. And even worse he's put me in the limelight by making me the lead developer.'
'But at least you know what's coming so you can devise a plan around it,' Nyx added helpfully doing the mental equivalent of a shoulder massage, 'Imagine if Gideon had been blindsided when he beings his missionaries in the city.'
'Still, this means we can't fully utilize the chaos created by the power vacuum...' Harry's inner voice trailed off as a bridge formed in his mind connecting two separate details and spinning them into a new troubling possibility.
'Harry?' Nyx asked concerned as she gingerly probed his mind looking to sense his inner emotions beyond the surface thoughts.
'This may be more connected than I essentially thought,' Harry thought darkly, 'Suppose for a second that my father was waiting for the Kingpin to be dethroned which would create a power vacuum and the coinciding crime war creating a demand for his new technology. But who would hedge a bet on the most powerful crimelord this city has ever seen being killed outright without a coup or established successor?'
'You're saying that your father knew for certain that someone would kill the Kingpin without seeking to take over his criminal empire?' Nyx inferred, 'And that someone just so happened to be Elektra who you only sent after Fisk once he attacked Sanctuary.'
'Yes, ' Harry growled as his fists tightened, 'Which means either my father or more likely those he's working with, have been paying closer attention to my godhood personas without tipping me off.'
'Why do you not think your father is the main culprit?'
'Because he's a paranoid, narcissist, and if he knew about Genesis and or Scourge then his suspicion would have forced him to draw a connection between their appearance and my recovery. He would have felt foolish and betrayed that his son had not only lied to him but made him into a fool by exploiting his weakness and confronted me about it.' Harry surmised as the elevator came to a pause and opened to reveal the lobby floor, 'The only question that remains is who my father is cooperating with, and how much they know about the gods.'
'Do you think it's a possibility they've connected the dots back to you?' Nyx pondered as Harry walked briskly through the lobby and stepped outside.
'I don't believe so, I've kept my powers hidden and always used another body when performing as either god. No one alive has enough information to piece together the full picture and it needs to stay that way.' Harry replied as he hopped onto his bike, 'As long as I have that advantage I can always rebuild even if they kill one of my other personas.'
---
Perched atop a skyscraper Gwen stared out at the city, nothing was visually wrong with the night skyline but she couldn't shake the feeling in the back of her mind that something was seriously wrong.
As if by divine intervention, Gwen's phone rang and she let out a tired sigh when she saw it was Yuri's number, 'Right now schedule.'
"Please tell me you just called to wish me good night," Gwen asked hopelessly as she answered Yuri's call.
"I don't think either of us is getting much sleep any time soon," Yuri muttered darkly making Gwen pay attention, "What happened this time?"
"Wilson Fisk is dead."
For a moment words failed Gwen as she tried to imagine the Kingpin as anything more than his indomitable self, "Alright that's not good do you know who did it."
"Beyond a doubt, it was Scourge, left their calling card and everything. Much as we can figure out they showed up out of thin air killed Fisk and his guards, and left without leaving a single witness." Yuri hissed her stress bleeding into her voice.
"And now the city is about to have its largest power vacuum since freaking Al Capone," Gwen muttered as she stared to see the storm brewing on the horizon, "How long before the Underworld finds out?"
"Shit with all the cops on payroll the news is probably spreading like wildfire," Yuri scoffed, "This is gonna be big spidey, it'll make the earlier turf war look like a food fight."
Gwen let out a long exhale as she prepared herself mentally, "Alright thanks for the heads up, Yuri. Keep me in the loop and hopefully, we can keep this city from burning to the ground."
"You got it Spidey, talk to you soon."
Gwen hung up but before she could put her phone away another call came through and her heart pounded when she saw who the caller was.
"Gwen are you somewhere private, we need to talk," Harry's voice came over the phone intense and insistent stressing Gwen's frayed nerves.
"Yeah, I'm alone what's going on? Is it the suit?"
"Yes and no, but I'm afraid that it's not good news overall," Harry answered as he started to explain, "The short version is I'm not gonna be able to work on your problem as much as I was before. My father just pulled me out of school and is forcing me to work in his lab for some secret project."
"Pulling you out of school?" Gwen protested as she stood up and started to pace back and forth, "What is he insane or something? And what secret project."
"No he's a narcissist most likely with borderline personality disorder," Harry replied dryly, "As for what he has me working on... he wants to use my organ replication technology to make an army of super soldiers....again."
The metaphorical storm on the horizon darkened and lightning flickered within the clouds as Gwen's concern grew, "Why would he do something like that, didn't he see how badly that turned out the first time?"
"Unfortunately my father sees human life as expendable for the sake of progress," Harry answered bitterly, "Also I hate to say it, but with my technology, he has a higher chance of success. He plans to create designer super soldiers, using replicated organs and body parts to give the donner pseudo superpowers. He took my idea to change the world for his own personal gain, and that's not even the worst part."
"There's more?" Gwen practically whimpered, not seeing how the news could get any worse.
"He's planning on running for mayor and promising that these new soldiers will become a special division of the NYPD to combat the rampant crime and lawless vigilantes making New York City dangerous." Harry continued, "And as much as I hate his guts I can see why people would fall for it. But I also know that my father is a piece of shit and wouldn't do something like this for the greater good of society. He's planning something, and I don't know what it is."
Gwen let out a frustrated groan as she walked over the side of the roof and onto the side of the skyscraper her feet sticking to the glass, "And you need my help to solve it."
Harry grunted, "Slow down there web-slinger. Hate to break it to you, but I don't think your particular skill set is suited for this kind of work. I just wanted to give you a heads up about what's going on, I can take care of myself."
"Don't be a hero Harry, you don't know how quickly shit like this can turn sour real quick," Gwen warned.
"Don't be a hero, look who's talking," Harry scoffed and Gwen couldn't help but smile, "But I appreciate the concern, talk to you later Gwen."
